First, let me make it clear that I am NOT an Xbox 360 Achievements whore/junkie/hoarder. I'll unlock maybe 70-80% of them in a game and then call it a day. Why? Because I could care LESS. Getting every Achievement for every 360 game I play just doesn't mean anything to me.

[But I will admit that I've unlocked all Achievements for only TWO games: Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II, that's it! Those were the only ones I actually enjoyed unlocking.]

But there is ONE game that has eluded me in terms of gaining Achievements ever since it first came out in 2007. That game is Dead Or Alive Xtreme 2. I swear to God, this game is a giant riddle wrapped in a conundrum because I've played countless hours of this time-wasting game and, to this day, have not unlocked ONE single goddamned Achievement! Every 360 game I've played has at least one Achievement that can be unlocked and DOAX2 is not one of them. Hell, I suck at Guitar Hero yet I still unlocked a total of THREE Achievements for that one! .

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What am I doing wrong here? I've bought all the swimsuits, won (most) of the beach mini-games, won all the Pole Dance tickets for every girl, amassed over 25 million Zack Dollars, won nearly 95% of every volleyball game, and gifted everyone with their goddamned favorite gifts, but have I unlocked anything in all those long lost hours of pixelated titillation? NO! Nothing, Zero, Zip, Zilch, NADA!

In the past, I've scoured countless DOAX2 gaming boards to read how other players unlocked their Achievements and it really feels like having a lobotomy because nothing they say makes any sense! Everyone tells you what to do, but no one explains HOW to do it! No step-by-step, no details, NOTHING. All I see them say is "Collect All 35 Swimsuits for So-and-So", BITE ME. .

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Here, let me point out ONE Achievement that the game lists:

••Kasumi's Lovely Collection - Gather as many swimsuits as you can with Kasumi! - 20 points

Okay, that seems easy to do, right? So I take a virtual vacation, gather up all the in-game cash I can (by doing all those girly activities), then I go to the Sports Shop and purchase all the swimsuits for my character and then what happens? That's right, NO ACHIEVEMENT. WTF!!! .

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I'm sure there have been others out there that have unlocked some of these tough DOAX2 Achievements and I applaud you, good sirs. I don't happen to be one of them. I just wish there was someone that could explain in-depth how to accomplish this shit! Sure, there are guides out there that list all the items and swimsuits, but how does ANY of that information help me in my quest to get ONE Achievement for this game? Sigh, I am not a winner. Either that or DOAX2 just hates me.

This little story I'm about to reveal here is 100% true and took place within a span of three weeks between October 2004-November 2004 (and I'm still feeling the epic failure of it all to this day). Here's the story: back in late 2004, there was a little M-rated videogame called "The Guy Game". In case you most likely don't remember, the game was an adult-based puzzle game (by Topheavy Studios) that ripped off elements of "You Don't Know Jack" and the debauchery of "Girls Gone Wild", where women answered trivia questions and had to flash their boobies if they got a question wrong.

Just by the concept alone, this game shoulda been a million-seller, right? WRONG! More on that later, but when the game came out in September of that year, I purchased the game (just for the sheer curiosity factor, of course) and wrote a game guide for it. Believe it or not, the Executive Producer of the game contacted me via email and THANKED me for writing up on it! Honest to God! The producer of the game (whom I shall not name) eventually asked me to help promote "The Guy Game" and like a giddy schoolgirl, I agreed without thinking for a second. That's where my Epic Fail starts. EPIC FAIL #1. .

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The game's producer actually gave me a call and he agreed to send me a giant supply of promotional material (via FEDEX) that consisted of flyers, stickers, t-shirts, blouses, beer-can longnecks (it's an item you stick on top of a beer or soda can to give the illusion that you're drinking a beer bottle), and a few PS2 and Xbox copies of the game.

The game's producer asked me to visit a few college campuses as well as a few videogame stores to pass out the free materials. Sounds like an easy task, right? WRONG AGAIN! It turns out that trying to promote a game like this with all the adult-based material is difficult! Who'da thunk it?!? Within a span of two weeks, I approached FOUR different Gamestop locations (and other non-gaming places) and tried convincing them to pass out some of this material. The Gamestop managers allowed me to set up a table inside the store with all the promo stuff for people to take.....but it got zero attention even from the older gamers! EPIC FAIL #2. .

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My next move was to try and pass the promo stuff to frat boys and sorority girls at a few college campuses. Turns out....that's not easy to do, either! Considering that I'm not some big-time hotshot that can just walk in and hold a giant frat party at the campus grounds, my time on the campuses was short-lived. EPIC FAIL #3.

My last resort to garner some attention was to actually go to a nightclub and get the club-goers to take a look at my wares. How did I come up with this idea, you ask? The official website for "The Guy Game" (which no longer exists) had photos of local nightclubs and bars that held "Guy Game" related parties filled with drunken frat boys and beautiful women playing the game and wearing the t-shirts, so I thought "Hey, maybe THIS will work!"

Luckily, someone I knew was good friends with a local nightclub owner in my area and he was able to get me a meeting with him. Within 24 hours of meeting with the nightclub owner (which went quite well, to my surprise), they approved of my pitch and allowed me to promote "The Guy Game" in their club. .

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So on the Friday night of that week, I hauled all my stuff (including a wickedly awesome "Guy Game" banner that the producers sent over to me) to the nightclub and got the BEST response EVER! Everyone from the bartenders to the club's owners to the club DJ helped me out to promote the game! All the guys were enjoying the game (on an Xbox that I had setup on a nearby TV screen), all the ladies were wearing the shirts, and the club DJ helped give away the stuff by having a sexy dance contest! And all of this was done simply because these guys were nice enough to me. Lots of photos were taken and I had a blast doing it (and it helped that the club owners gave me free drinks all night). A fun time was had by all.

Now here's where the biggest Epic Fail comes in: after the big party, I gathered all the photos and emailed them to the game's producer. I expected a big response and to (maybe) have all the photos posted on the game's website. Well, the week after I sent the party photos to the producer, "The Guy Game" received a lawsuit from an underaged contestant in the game. Turns out that the lawsuit went in favor of the defendant and the studio that produced the game immediately closed up shop and I NEVER heard from the producer ever again. EPIC FAIL!!! .

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SIGH. It ended up being a colossal waste of time in the end. I've never told anyone about this incident, but it's always been in the back of my mind for the past 7 years, so I kinda figured that maybe it was time for me to air out my dirty laundry (and, MAN, is it REALLY dirty). I never knew what became of the producer of Topheavy Studios, but all I know is that he stills owe me an autographed poster for helping him out (although I still have the giant banner that was used during the filming of the game)! Plus all the photos I took in the club don't exist anymore! I AM AN EPIC MUTHERFUCKIN' FAILURE!!!

Welcome to Hollywood (or should I say, "Hooray for Hollywood!")! Let me get straight to the moneyshot of this guide: I wanted to compose a visual guide that compares the now-and-then aspect of 2011 Hollywood versus 1947 Hollywood using current photos and High Def screenshots from the game. Since the producers of L.A. Noire have made it very clear that they studied and re-created an 8x8 version of Los Angeles, I only find it fitting that I compare 1947 versus 2011 and, believe me, the results are astounding!

For this guide, I decided to start directly in Hollywood, my side of town. I scoured a 9-block radius of Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard starting from Bronson Avenue up to La Brea Avenue. I had HQ photos taken of various famous landmarks within the boulevard and then I took HD screencaps from L.A. Noire from the same angle to show the differences.

[But before we start, the one VERY big difference between 1947 Hollywood and 2011 Hollywood is ONE thing: TREES. That's right, the current version has trees up and down the boulevard unlike in 1947, where the boulevard had NO trees at all.]

Enough talk, LET'S ROCK! .

. ***ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEELMACHINES .

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•• HOLLYWOOD & BRONSON ••

According to the L.A. Noire map, Hollywood Blvd. begins from Bronson Street (which is highly unlikely since it actually stretches much farther). The 1947 map shows that the corner of Bronson had a large building with a deli and bookstore.

As of 2011, the corner of Bronson now contains a much smaller building with a tattoo shop and liquor store. .

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•• THE BLUE ROOM JAZZ CLUB ••

It's uncertain whether or not the Blue Room Jazz Club actually existed in 1947 or if it was a fictional creation just for the game, but I'll check it out anyway. Located just east of Gower Street on Hollywood Blvd, the Blue Room Jazz Club is where Detective Phelps develops his obsession with the club's mysterious songstress.

As of today, the block east of Gower on Hollywood Blvd. is now a giant car dealership. .

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. Hollywood and Argyle is where the star-studded part of Hollywood Blvd begins (although, technically, it begins at Hollywood & Gower). Let's take a look! .

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•• THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN ••

In case you haven't already noticed by now, the famous Hollywood sign used to be called "Hollywoodland", which was created to promote a housing development in the Hollywood Hills in 1923. By 1949, the deteriorated sign was restored and the last four letters ("LAND") were dropped from the name.

As of today, the sign is privately funded and maintained (historically, after the restoration in 1949, the sign was neglected until the late 70's when wealthy Hollywood businessmen donated money to restore each letter).

**NOTE: The photo above was taken at the corner of Hollywood & Ivar. The screenshot was taken at the corner of Hollywood & Argyle. The Hollywood sign in 1947 was obstructed on Ivar Avenue by apartment buildings (which have since been torn down). .

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•• THE PANTAGES THEATER & FROLIC ROOM ••

The famous Pantages Theater is still in use today and features many off-Broadway plays and productions (as well as a few select musical concert acts). The only difference is that the Frolic Room did not exist in 1947 (it was built inside the Pantages as a private VIP area).

The theater also housed a couple of Academy Award ceremonies in the 40's and was a working motion picture theater until the 70's, when it was closed and then re-opened as a stage production theater.

According to the opening cutscene from L.A. Noire, the Pantages was also used as a casting place for movie productions. I'm guessing that's not the case anymore. .

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Ah yes, the famed Hollywood & Vine intersection! .

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•• CAPITOL RECORDS ••

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•• THE PALACE (ACROSS THE STREET FROM CAPITOL RECORDS) ••

Unfortunately, Capitol Records did not exist in 1947 (it was built in 1954). Capitol Records is a known landmark of the Hollywood area because of it's large circular structure and can be seen directly from the 101 Freeway. The famed record label is known for harboring such musical acts as Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Duran Duran, and current acts like Katy Perry and Keith Urban.

But according to the L.A. Noire map, instead of a circular building, the southeast area of Vine and Yucca contained mostly houses while the corner building was a women's clothing store.

**FUN FACT #1: Also, across the street from Capitol Records is the Avalon Hollywood building (formerly known as the Palace), which still holds concerts on a nightly basis.

***FUN FACT #2: Three of the four Beatles members have Walk Of Fame Stars in front of Capitol Records (Sir Paul McCartney doesn't have one, which is hard to believe). .

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•• THE BROADWAY BUILDING ••

On the Southwest corner of H&V is the Broadway building (with it's giant neon sign on the roof, as seen in the "Naked City" Vice case). The building is now mostly a private building with the famed Katsuya Restaurant occupying the first and second floor (where numerous celebs have been seen dining on a nightly basis). .

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•• THE TAFT BUILDING ••

The Taft Building was known for housing many offices for all the big movie studios including the Academy of Motion Picture & Sciences and even Charlie Chaplin's office (when he worked at MGM). As of 2011, the Taft Building is still used mainly as rental space for offices. .

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•• THE BROWN DERBY ••

Located just south of the Taft Building, the Brown Derby was a restaurant that used a bowler hat for it's motif. By 1987, the restaurant burned down and has been since demolished. As of today, the area occupying the Brown Derby is now a giant apartment complex with a Trader Joe's store on the first floor. .

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•• THE RICARDO MONTALBAN THEATER ••

Located at the northwest corner of Selma & Vine, the Ricardo Montalban Theater is host to various small stage productions. Renamed in 2004 for actor Ricardo Montalban, the theater was formerly called the Doolittle Theater and was previously owned by UCLA (yes, that UCLA).

According to the L.A. Noire map, the theater had no name but was occupied by the CBS-KNX 1050 AM radio station (which is funny considering that the game only has ONE station). .

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•• THE L. RON HUBBARD CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY BUILDING ••

Located at the northeast corner of Hollywood and Cahuenga, the Scientology center serves as one of three (yes, I said THREE) Scientology buildings on Hollywood Blvd. According to the L.A. Noire map, the same building existed in 1947 and was used in the same vein as the Taft Building (rental spaces for offices). .

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•• THE JULIAN MEDICAL BUILDING ••

Located at the southeast corner of Cahuenga, the current version of the Julian Medical building contains NO medical offices of any kind, so why it's still called a "medical" building is beyond me. Instead, a Popeye's Chicken occupies the first floor while the second floor is empty. .

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Another landmark to take note of is the newsstand located on the western wall of the Julian Building. According to the L.A. Noire map, there IS a newsstand located on that same wall of the building and it still exists today! .

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•• THE HOLLYWOOD PACIFIC THEATER ••

The Pacific Theater (formerly known as the Warner Bros. Theater) is located just half a block down from Hollywood & Cahuenga. Although the theater's structure was internally damaged after the 1994 Northridge quake, the building is still in use and is now occupied by a church group.

**FUN FACT: Next door to the east of the Pacific Theater is an empty lot that used to be the location of the Paul Delongpre Residence, a tourist attraction that was created in 1907 and demolished in 1923. To this day, the lot still remains empty and gated. .

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•• THE FORPLAY BUILDING ••

Located at the southeast corner of Hollywood & Wilcox, the Forplay Building houses a popular sex shop. That's pretty much it. According to the L.A. Noire map, the building existed in 1947 and the exterior remains the same in 2011. .

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Hollywood & Whitley is a small street directly in the center of Hollywood Blvd. .

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•• WHITLEY APARTMENT COMPLEX ••

The apartment building on the northwest corner of Whitley doesn't have a name but according to the L.A. Noire map, the building existed and is still standing as of today.

**FUN FACT: The apartment complex has been used on various TV shows including most notably, "Beverly Hills 90210" where the characters of Brandon and Steve used the top floor as the offices for their newspaper. .

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•• FREDERICK'S OF HOLLYWOOD BUILDING ••

Formerly known as the Kress Building (before it was purchased and renamed in 1946), the Frederick's of Hollywood building housed (you guessed it) the original Frederick's Of Hollywood lingerie boutique and museum! As of 2005, Frederick's moved out and Kress re-purchased the building and repainted the exterior to a white colored scheme (away from the original gray).

**FUN FACT: After Kress re-purchased the building, Kress opened a nightclub/lounge in 2008 inside the building and then closed it in 2011. Awww! .

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•• THE GEISHA HOUSE ••

Located on the northeast corner of Hollywood and Cherokee (just before Musso & Frank Grill), the Geisha House is a popular Japanese restaurant/nightclub. Opened around 2005, the restaurant is a local Hollywood hotspot and was also featured in a key scene in the movie, "Knocked Up".

According to the L.A. Noire map, the building on the corner of Hollywood & Cherokee was previously occupied by a hardware store. Quite a 180-turn from the Asian twist it now has on its corner. .

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•• MUSSO & FRANK GRILL ••

As it says on the restaurant marquee outside, "Oldest restaurant in Hollywood since 1919". The M&F restaurant is still in business five days out of the week (they close on Sunday and Monday) and has remained in the same spot unharmed after 90 years. Even the famous neon sign on the roof remains intact! .

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•• THE VOGUE THEATER ••

Considered to be a "haunted" landmark, the Vogue Theater was built in 1935 and was used for screening films up until 1995. The theater now houses "The Supper Club", an Amsterdam-based restaurant and nightclub, which purchased the building in 2007.

Of course, the L.A. Noire map shows that the Vogue Theater was still in business in 1947 and remains in the same spot despite the lavish new interior (but crappy exterior) provided by its new inhabitants. .

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•• MICELI'S RESTAURANT ••

Located just half a block south from Hollywood & Las Palmas, Miceli's Restaurant is an established Hollywood landmark that has had it's share of famous customers from the Golden Age of Hollywood. As of 2011, the restaurant is still open and receives it's share of business from the patrons at the Pantages Theater (after they see a show, they trek over here for lunch/dinner).

But considering that the restaurant opened in 1949, the L.A. Noire map shows that the building occupying the Miceli's space was a supermarket.

**FUN FACT: Miceli's Restaurant was prominently featured in a few scenes in the movie, "Knocked Up". .

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•• THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF HOLLYWOOD ••

Located at the southern tailend of Las Palmas in Hollywood, the FBCH was built in 1917 (and then renovated in 1936), the church does what it usually does on a Sunday: have worship service!

According to the L.A. Noire map, the church maintains the same look in 2011 as it did in 1947. .

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•• GRAUMAN'S EGYPTIAN THEATER/PIG N WHISTLE ••

Both the Egyptian Theater and the famous Pig N' Whistle restaurant were in business in 1947 and still exist in modern-day Hollywood. The Egyptian Theater is home of the Hollywood Film Festival and the American Cinematheque. The theater doesn't screen any new films and is mainly used for screening older films.

The Pig N' Whistle is located next to the Egyptian Theater entrance and according to Hollywood lore, was the first known theater concession stand (since theaters didn't have concession stands back in the late 20's). The restaurant deteriorated within it's 80-year lifespan, changing hands between owners until it was faithfully restored to its former glory in 2001. As of 2011, the restaurant is considered a Hollywood landmark. .

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•• THE SCIENTOLOGY CENTER #2 OF 3 ••

The big red building is the second of three Scientology centers on Hollywood Blvd. According to the L.A. Noire map, the building was once a hotel known as the "Hotel Brake". No information could be found on this building, so I'm going to assume it's just a dummy name. .

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Now known as the entertainment mecca in the heart of Hollywood, Highland Avenue has since become a much bigger tourist attraction due to the multi-million dollar renovation it received back in 2000. More on it below! .

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•• THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK ••

On the northeast corner of H&H is the REALLY tall First National Bank building, built in 1927 and housed the Pacific-Southwest Trust and Savings. As of today, there are no known businesses operating in the building. The first floor is practically empty and it is unknown if any of the floors have any occupants.

Regardless of it's empty nature, the building still stands intact from the day it was built and shows no sign of aging whatsoever. The L.A. Noire map shows that the building looks exactly the same as it did in 1947. .

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•• RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT ODDITORIUM ••

Located on the southeast corner of H&H, the Ripley's Museum houses an "odditorium" of weird and crazy things, most of which are NOT Hollywood-related. But according to the L.A. Noire map, the building that occupied this space was once a diner called "The Pitstop Cafe". .

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•• HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM ••

Located just across the street from the Ripley's is the Hollywood Wax Museum. The establishment has been in business since 1965 and has housed what is possibly (in my very honest opinion) the absolute WORST-looking wax figures you will EVER see.

All that aside, the L.A. Noire map shows that the previous business occupying this particular space was a book store and clothing store. Fortunately, the building still looks the same even after the Wax Museum occupied it. .

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•• THE HOLLYWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH ••

Basically known as the "church with the red ribbon", the HUMC was built in 1929 and is still in use as of 2011. But in 1947, the church was much smaller and was renovated to the larger version seen above.

**FUN FACT: The church has been featured in numerous films, most notably, the church's auditorium which doubled as the "Enchantment under The Sea" dance hall in the "Back To The Future" films. .

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•• THE MAX FACTOR BUILDING ••

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Located just a few steps away from Hollywood Blvd, the Max Factor building still retains it's former glory and name, although the building no longer houses anything related to the make-up giant. Opened in 1932, the Max Factor building housed a "salon to the stars".

As of 2011, Max Factor no longer uses the building (but retains the name) and now houses the Hollywood Museum (in the main building) and Mel's Drive-In (located on the right side), a 1950's nostalgia diner. .

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•• THE HOLLYWOOD & HIGHLAND MALL ••

Built in 2002, the H&H mall is an outdoor, open-air mall featuring all the latest shops and restaurants in Hollywood. Located next door to the Kodak Theater and Grauman's Chinese Theater, the mall is now the other main attraction in Hollywood making the area a little more family-friendly and attractive to worldwide tourists (sort of like a less smelly version of Times Square).

According to the L.A. Noire map, the area that once occupied the mall was a record store building and two large apartment complexes (which would look WAY out-of-place in modern day Hollywood). .

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•• HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL ••

Located directly south of the El Capitan Theater (and west of the Max Factor building), Hollywood High School has been a birthing ground for many stars (new and old). Built in 1910 and using actor Rudolf Valentino as it's mascot logo, the school looked much, much different in 1947 than it does now.

The current version of Hollywood HS is heavily gated, while the 1947 version was cleaner and had no walls or gates blocking the view of the school buildings. .

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•• THE KODAK THEATER ••

After the completion of the H&H mall in 2002, the Kodak Theater (located between Grauman's and the mall) was inducted as the new auditorium for the Academy Awards, where it has taken place ever since.

But according to the L.A. Noire map, there was NO building at all in this area and, in fact, used to be a working street! Turns out that the area between the Grauman's Chinese Theater and Highland Avenue was known as Orchid Avenue before the renovation, which took away half of Orchid Avenue. .

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•• THE GRAUMAN'S CHINESE THEATER ••

Probably the second-most recognized Hollywood landmark in the world (aside from the Hollywood sign), the Grauman's is still in the same exact location and still hosts world premieres for all the biggest movies and events.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Grauman's exterior did not have any of the "hand-and-footprint" cement blocks displayed outside of the theater. Also, the map shows that the theater had it's own parking lot to the east of the building! .

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•• THE EL CAPITAN THEATER/HOLLYWOOD MASONIC TEMPLE ••

The El Capitan is currently owned by the Walt Disney Company and uses it frequently to hold premieres for it's own films. The original theater changed names and owners for many years during the 30's and 40's (and was once owned by Paramount Pictures at one time) before changing hands to the Disney Company in the late 80's.

Built in 1921, the Masonic Temple was used by the Freemasons as their lodge until they stopped using it in the early 80's. By the early 90's, the Disney Company bought the whole building (including the El Capitan next door) and restored the building. The Masonic Temple now houses the Jimmy Kimmel Show and also uses the parking lot in the back of the building for outdoor concert performances for the show.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Masonic Temple retains the same look as it's 2011 counterpart with little changes, while the El Capitan was known in 1947 as the Hollywood Paramount Theater. .

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•• UNKNOWN BUILDING (6922 HOLLYWOOD BLVD) ••

On the southeast corner of Hollywood & Orange is a building that houses several restaurants: Hooters, Baja Fresh, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. According to the L.A. Noire map, this area also had several shops, though there was no high-rise building in it's place. .

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•• THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL ••

Located on the southwest corner of Hollywood and Orange, the famed Roosevelt Hotel was the place that held the very first Academy Awards (and holds a few famous ghost stories). As of 2005, the hotel underwent a major renovation but still retains it's old Spanish-style look from when it was first built in 1927.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Roosevelt Hotel is still the same as it was in 1947, with the exception of the "Cinegrill" neon sign on the lower roof, which didn't exist until 1949. .

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•• THE HOLLYWOOD BILTMORE ••

Located north of Hollywood & Orange, the Hollywood Biltmore was once a hotel that has since been turned into an apartment complex (and has no association with the Biltmore hotel brand). According to the L.A. Noire map, the area that occupied the Biltmore area was a series of houses. .

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•• THE FOUR LADIES (GATEWAY TO HOLLYWOOD) ••

Located on a triangular island at the western end of Hollywood and La Brea, the large silver monument entitled "The Four Ladies" was commissioned and created by film director Catherine Hardwicke (yes, the one responsible for the first "Twilight" movie) in 1993 to honor "multi-ethnic women of Hollywood". The base of the monument features silver statues of Mae West, Dorothy Dandridge, Anna Mae Wong, and Dolores Del Rio (and Marilyn Monroe on the top of the structure).

Since the landmark has barely been in existence for under 20 years, it's obvious that the location in 1947 did NOT have a triangular island in it's place. According to the L.A. Noire map, the area did NOT exist. Amazing, ain't it? .

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•• LA BREA STRIP MALL ••

Located on the southwest corner of La Brea (across the street from the Four Ladies monument), the La Brea strip mall is....well, a strip mall. According to the L.A. Noire map, the area in 1947 used to be a trolley station. .

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•• THE SUNSET BRONSON STUDIOS ••

Located south of the KTLA-5 building on Sunset & Bronson, the Bronson Studio is where various television shows, most notably, "Judge Judy" and "Judge Joe Brown" are filmed.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Bronson Studios building did exist in 1947 but it's unsure if it was used for filming shows (or movies). .

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•• THE HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM ••

Located just east of Sunset & Argyle, the Palladium is a concert venue that still holds concerts on a monthly basis. Built in 1940, the Palladium changed it's exterior in the mid-80's until late 2007. In 2007, Live Nation purchased the venue and renovated the Palladium to it's original 1940's look and re-opened in 2008.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Palladium in 1947 is not featured as a concert venue but as a movie theater. .

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•• NICKELODEON ON SUNSET ••

Located at the tail-end of Argyle, the Nickelodoen on Sunset is where the Nickelodeon Channel films all their popular TV shows including "I-Carly".

According to the L.A. Noire map, the area occupying Argyle in 1947 was a large building with a bunch of stores. .

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•• THE SUNSET MEDIA TOWER ••

Located on the northwest corner of Sunset & Argyle, the Sunset Media Tower was once the home of the offices for the House Of Blues, but according to various media news outlets, the building was placed for sale in 2010 and there are no current occupants on the top floors (except the first floor which has restaurants).

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Sunset Media Tower did not exist (because it was built in 1971) and in it's place was the other half of the NBC Radio building. .

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•• THE SUNSET CHASE BANK ••

Located on the northeast corner of S&V, the building is currently occupied by Chase Bank. But according to the L.A. Noire map, the building was formerly the NBC Radio City Studios building.

The NBC Radio City building was constructed in 1938 and held radio broadcasts that went over-the-air in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. By 1955, NBC had switched over to a television station and moved it's facilities to it's (now current) location at Burbank. By the mid-60's, the NBC Radio City studio was demolished and replaced by the building now seen as the Chase Bank. .

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•• THE SUNSET AND VINE SHOPPING CENTER ••

Located on the northwest corner of Sunset & Vine, the S&V shopping center was built in 2006 and has multiple shops and restaurants (almost similar to the Hollywood & Highland mall but not as glitzy). According to the L.A. Noire map, the area was once occupied by a bowling alley called "Lucky Lanes". .

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•• THE PICKFORD CENTER FOR MOTION PICTURE STUDY ••

Located at the northwest corner of Vine & Fountain, the Pickford Center was built and dedicated to actress Mary Pickford in 1948. The Pickford Center houses film archives for the AMPAS and acts as a historic library for films made in 1927 and on.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the Pickford Center was once occupied by a good ol' furniture store in 1947. .

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•• THE ARCLIGHT/CINERAMA DOME ••

Located just half a block east of Sunset & Ivar, the Arclight Theaters is a large 14-screen cineplex that also happens to house the famous "Cinerama Dome". Built in 1963, the Dome (which looks like a giant golf ball when seen from Sunset Blvd.) was one of the few theaters in Hollywood to screen 70mm films and still does to this day. In 2000, the single-screened Dome was closed down and renovated to include 14 additional screens (in conjunction with Pacific Theaters) and was renamed "The Arclight" in 2002. A handful of Hollywood premieres also occur at the Arclight, though not on a big scale like the Grauman's.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the area that occupied the Arclight in 1947 was a building with several stores. Nothing as fancy like it is nowadays, that's for sure. .

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•• AMOEBA MUSIC/CNN BUILDING ••

Located on the southwest corner of Sunset & Ivar, Amoeba Music is one of the few remaining music chain stores in Los Angeles (if not the country) that still sells CD's, LP's, AND cassette tapes in mass quantities (both new and used). And located next door to Amoeba is none other than the CNN building. 'Nuff said.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the building for Amoeba was once a clothing store and the area where the CNN building is located was once a gas station. .

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•• CROSSROADS OF THE WORLD ••

Located just near Sunset and Las Palmas (about a block east from La Brea), the Crossroads of the World building still stands in it's place unchanged. Built in 1936, the original Crossroads had numerous shops, but mysteriously closed down (year of closure unknown). It is unclear why the shops were closed (believe me, I checked) and the area is now gated-off and contains only private offices and various media outlets.

According to the L.A. Noire map, the COTW area retains it's famous exterior in 1947 as it does in 2011 (well, except for the gated-off area). .

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•• THE BLESSED SACRAMENT SCHOOL OF HOLLYWOOD ••

Located next door to the Crossroads of the World, the Blessed Sacrament Church and School was built in 1923 and is considered a Hollywood landmark along Sunset Blvd. According to the L.A. Noire map, the Blessed Sacrament School remains exactly the same in 1947 as it does in 2011. .

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That's it for now, boys and girls! The glitz and glamour (as well as the seedy) side of Hollywood has been revealed. If I get more equally positive response to this guide, I may add more non-Hollywood areas like East LA and parts of Downtown. But for now, let's just keep it strictly Hollywood.

. What it do again, party peoples! Welcome to my second pointless MK FAQ on the web! This little FAQ will give a breakdown of all the battles that occur in Story Mode. In addition to revealing all the battles, I will also give a few tips to defeating all of the harder characters/bosses/tag teams. Trust me, once you reach the end of the game, the battles will only get cheaper and more frustrating.

As you play through Story Mode, a lot of storylines from the first three games get skewed immediately as the story flashes back to MK1 through MK3. The story unfolds in separate chapters with a different character. You will control 17 different characters containing at least 4 battles per chapter. The first ten or so chapters are fairly easy with a few zingers in between to piss you off (DAMN YOU, SHAO KAHN!!!), but you should be able to get by with some experience. (Unless you're absolutely new to the game, in which case, I can't help you).

. Be aware that this guide WILL present EVERY spoiler in Story Mode, so if you don't want to know what happens, DO NOT CONTINUE! Otherwise, scroll down for all the info. Also, the strategies below are for the Default difficulty! These strategies may not apply in higher modes.

Ready? FIGHT!!!

. +++KRYPT KOINS BREAKDOWN

Each Chapter has four battles per character (except for the ending chapters). By the end of Story Mode, you should have about 150,000+ Koins in your wallet, so get to it, pretty boy!

++NOTE: Once you complete Story Mode, all battles will only be worth 10 Koins (including boss battles).

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+++ MORTAL KOMBAT +++

The first couple of battles are fairly easy to complete. You can test out your combos and try out Special attacks. But once you get to Scorpion's chapter, the difficulty amps up a notch so be ready!

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CHAPTER 1 - JOHNNY CAGE

VS. REPTILE VS. BARAKA VS. SONYA BLADE VS. KANO

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CHAPTER 2 - SONYA BLADE

VS. SUB-ZERO VS. RAIDEN VS. JADE/KITANA

. VS. KANO

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CHAPTER 3 - SCORPION

When battling against Cyrax/Sektor, you'll have to be defensive and use the Block Button. Sektor's cheap uppercut move is blockable but hard to predict, so stay defensive! And when battling Sub-Zero, his Ice Slide will be the one move to watch!

VS. KUNG LAO VS. NIGHTWOLF VS. SEKTOR/CYRAX (HUMAN VERSIONS)

. VS. SUB-ZERO

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CHAPTER 4 - CYRAX (HUMAN VERSION)

VS. SHEEVA VS. BARAKA VS. JOHNNY CAGE

. VS. SEKTOR (HUMAN VERSION)

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CHAPTER 5 - LIU KANG

The strategy to fighting Goro is to NOT fight him up close. Unless you just happen to be a master at combo juggles, keep your distance from him! Move away and then bait him to walk towards you and then smack him with a Dragon Kick. If it connects, jump away and do it again. If he blocks, just jump away to avoid getting grabbed.

As for the Shang Tsung battle, it's a mix. Since he switches between characters, you'll have to change your strategy accordingly but it's best to use ground combos on him.

From a first glance, you'll probably think that Smoke isn't a versatile fighter but au contraire! Smoke is actually the most agile ninja of all the MK ninjas. His Dash Punch is probably the single most useful (and cheapest) attack in his arsenal, so spam that move and you'll beat this chapter easily.

These next few Kung Lao battles are definitely frustrating if you haven't learned to use juggle combos (like myself), but I've found that spamming Special Attacks works wonders against these cheap bosses! When fighting Goro/Kintaro, spam Kung Lao's Hat Throw attack from a far distance. As you continually throw the hat at Goro/Kintaro, they will keep getting hit! Mix it up with a Teleport+Kick attack to reduce more of their health.

When fighting Shao Kahn, the best strategy is to use DEFENSE. First of all, Shao Kahn is practically untouchable when it comes to getting fazed or dizzied (if you haven't seen it by now). Unless you are an expert at juggling combos, your best bet at winning against Shao Kahn is to NOT attack him up front.

Instead, move away from Kahn and allow him to walk towards you. Block his Spear attacks and spam Kung Lao's Hat Throw. Keep throwing the Hat at him from a far distance! Most of the time, Kahn will taunt you which is the best time to spam him! The point of this tactic is to shave off as much health from Kahn until the Timer runs out. When the Timer runs out, Kahn's depleted health will kill him, giving you the Win! Do this for the next round and you should get by fairly untouched (but a little bit banged up at times).

Understand how this Turtle Strategy works? Good! Take note because you'll need to do it again for the final battle.

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+++ ULTIMATE MORTAL KOMBAT 3 +++

For these last chapters, spamming Special Attacks will only work sparingly. Each character in these chapters has a ground combo that is nearly unblockable, so spam those combos on your opponent instead. When your opponent is down, immediately rush in and do the combo again as they get up. If they block, don't panic! Just stay defensive and trap them in a corner so that you can spam those ground combos!

By doing this simple strategy, I was able to complete these last chapters without very much frustration (except the last battle, of course).

. CHAPTER 12 - STRYKER

Stryker's Gun Shot attack is his best move. Continually shoot gun shots at your opponents and they'll fall easily. Mix in a baton attack as well to shake things up.

VS. REPTILE VS. MILEENA VS. KINTARO VS. ERMAC

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CHAPTER 13 - KABAL

Kabal is a difficult character to use, but his Dash attack is probably the most useful in his arsenal. Spam his Dash attack and then use a juggle combo or his Hooksword attack to reduce your opponent's health. If they block the Dash, quickly use a Leg Sweep and then back away and try again. This is especially helpful against Noob/Mileena.

VS. KANO VS. NOOB SAIBOT/MILEENA

. VS. CYBER SUB-ZERO

. VS. SHEEVA

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CHAPTER 14 - CYBER SUB-ZERO

Cyber Sub-Zero's most powerful attack is his System Error combo (X, X, TRIANGLE). It's a quick and painful attack with little room for recovery. Spam this attack on your opponents to get the upper hand on them. This strategy works especially well against Kintaro/Goro. If done properly, you can defeat Kintaro/Goro with almost ALL of your health intact (as seen below)!

. VS. SEKTOR

. VS. GORO/KINTARO

. VS. ERMAC

. VS. NOOB SAIBOT

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CHAPTER 15 - NIGHTWOLF

Nightwolf's ground combos are very strong, in particular the Deadly Dance combo (SQUARE, SQUARE, CIRCLE) so stick with those attacks instead of using Special attacks. The battle with Sindel is not as frustrating as it looks. Avoid Special attacks and keep using ground combos to build up the X-Ray meter and then use it on her to defeat her. Keep spamming the ground combos and you'll complete this chapter easily.

. VS. QUAN CHI

. VS. SEKTOR

. VS. CYRAX

. VS. SINDEL

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CHAPTER 16 - RAIDEN

For the three-in-one battles in the Hell stage, Raiden must fight three opponents separately with only ONE health bar! Just like the last few chapters, use ground combos on all your opponents to defeat them easily. Raiden's Spark Kicks combo (X, X, CIRCLE) is a great combo stopper to spam, so use it!

VS. SCORPION

. VS. JAX/STRYKER/KABAL (ZOMBIE VERSIONS)

. VS. KITANA/NIGHTWOLF/KUNG LAO (ZOMBIE VERSIONS)

. VS. LIU KANG

. VS. SHAO KAHN

. In case you haven't noticed, Shao Kahn is most deadly when you get up close to him. His hammer and shoulder rams are super painful, which is all the more reason to NOT use combos on him for this battle! The best strategy to winning this battle is to shave off Kahn's health in bits and pieces. First, move AWAY from Kahn. Allow Kahn to walk towards you so that you can bait him with a Dash attack. If successful, quickly pull back and do it again.

If Kahn decides to use his Taunt, immediately use the Dash! If you can reduce Kahn's health considerably by the time the Timer runs out, you'll get the easy win. Repeat it for Round 2 (or 3) and you'll complete Story Mode. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most advanced strategy but this is Story Mode, what the Hell do you expect??!

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. IT WAS SHINNOK!!!

. SPOILER ALERT!!! If you haven't kept track, the following characters die in Story Mode:

. What it do, party peoples! Welcome to my absolutely, positively pointless MK FAQ on the web! First of all, let me be the one to brag that I was the one that called it first when I made mention about the final boss battle in God Of War 3 over a year ago. In my GoW3 FAQ (written in March 2010), I entitled the final Kratos VS. Zeus Battle as "Mortal Kombat" and, as fate would have it, the makers of the new MK game ended up using Kratos in the new MK game using the same battle arena! Coincidence? I think not, but it's not like THEY would ever admit to taking my idea....or WOULD they? Nah.

Anyway, you clicked here for one reason - to see what the whole fuss is about regarding Kratos for the Playstation 3 version of MK. Read on below to view all the details!

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+++ THE GOD OF WAR +++

. In case you weren't aware, Kratos is only playable on the PS3 version (sorry, Xbox 360, you lose). Fortunately, Kratos IS playable from the outstart and does NOT need to be unlocked via the Krypt.

Kratos can be used in 2-Player battles (One-On-One or Tag Team) and can also participate in his own Ladder Match for Arcade Mode.

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Kratos has all of his gear intact from God Of War 3 on hand - the Blades of Exile, the Blade of Olympus, the Nemean Cestus, the Bow Of Apollo, the Hermes Boots, and the Head of Helios.

The only weapons that Kratos is missing is the Nemesis Whip and his Rage Of the Spartans super move (does the Icarus Wings count?).

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+++ ALTERNATE COSTUME +++

Kratos also has one additional costume - the (useless) Fear costume from GoW3. To unlock the Fear costume, simply complete the 10-Battle Ladder Match on any difficulty. After defeating Shao Kahn, go to Nekropolis and go to Kratos' profile to unlock the costume.

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. To use the Fear costume, go to the Player Select screen and highlight Kratos. Press the START button to bring up the multiple costumes list and choose FEAR.

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+++ COMBOS +++

Kratos is a strong and aggressively agile fighter but his combos are not as quick to pull off as other fighters like Smoke or Noob. To pull them off, you'll need to time the combos so that you won't get countered especially in higher modes (and boss battles).

**NOTE: When doing the Enhanced version of this move, Kratos will get an additional QTE button involving the Sword of Olympus!

. VALOR OF HERCULES - TRIANGLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE

. GRAB MOVE - R1 (UP CLOSE)

. The Valor Of Hercules attack is Kratos' best move to spam when fighting bigger enemies like Goro and Kintaro. Very rarely can they block it and, if they do, Kratos can quickly jump away (but he can't cancel it, though). The second best move to spam is the Bow Of Apollo (not pictured) when fighting quick and nimble enemies, especially Shao Kahn.

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+++ X-RAY ATTACK +++

. L2 BUTTON + R2 BUTTON

. For his X-Ray attack, Kratos will stab the opponent in the gut with the Blades of Exile followed by a super punch to the face with the Nemean Cestus. Painful, you say?

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+++ FATALITIES +++

Fatalities are a bit of an understatement for Kratos, don't you think? (Especially if you've played all of the God of War games). And before you ask, YES, Kratos can be victim to everyone else's fatalities as well.

. +++FATALITY #1 - THE BLADE OF OLYMPUS+++

DOWN, DOWN, BACK, FORWARD, TRIANGLE (at close distance)

. For his first Fatality, Kratos uses the Blades Of Exile to impale his opponent and then slices them from the torso up with the Blade Of Olympus.

. +++FATALITY #2 - THE MEDUSA GAZE+++

DOWN, FORWARD, DOWN, BACK, SQUARE (within sweep distance)

. **NOTE: This Fatality is hidden somewhere in the Krypt but can be done WITHOUT having to unlock it (as long as you know the code).

For this quick Fatality, Kratos will freeze his opponent with the Medusa Head and then smash them to pieces with the Nemean Cestus. Not really a new move, to be honest.

. +++ BABALITY +++

DOWN, BACK, FORWARD, TRIANGLE (within jump distance)

. +++ STAGE FATALITY +++

DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, X

**CHAMBER OF THE FLAME FATALITY: When playing as Kratos, performing his stage fatality will give THREE options: the Slicer, the Crusher, and the Flamethrower. Press either X, Circle, or Triangle to choose one of the three choices!

. There you have it! A quick look at Kratos in action. If you're an Xbox 360 owner, look at what you're missing! All the bloody goodness and none of the fat! To all PS3 owners that still haven't gotten the game, what'chu waiting for? Christmas?!?